This is an arm twisting by the Patrick Administration for a break-back deal for ratepayers facing a $4 billion dollar rate premium by the Attorney General's analysis of the Green Communities Act. Yet, Cape Wind represents their project would be "lowering electric costs". In addition to this $4.08 "Green Energy Tax" to be paid for by NGrid customers, the AG has announced $4 Billion is the estimated cost to implement the Green Communities Act. There is also a taxpayer subsidy of $600 million from the federal government to develop the project. Value of NGrid Contract $6.25 Billion Green Energy Tax to Customers $4.08 Billion Federal Taxpayer Subsidy $600 million Are we $8.08 Billion in debt Cape Wind included? Will the state pick up the balance of Cape Wind's energy as an energy market participant? That strategy cost California ratepayers Billions, too. Cape Wind technology requires manufacturing of similar obsolete, "discontinued", sinking, shifting and corroding. This is experimental technology proposed to triple current cost of electricity. This is brilliant failure on the investment of public dollars as 60% with developers' 10% skin in the game by the Patrick Administration. The federal lawsuits will prevail and Cape Wind will remain a paper project. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,815169,00.html#ref=nlint

Correction of an sentence in my earlier post, thank you. Cape Wind technology requires manufacturing of industry obsolete, "discontinued", sinking, shifting and corroding wind turbines based on GE 3.6 MW wind turbines, and Siemens 3.6 MW wind turbines Cape Wind EMI has specified in federal and state permit and approval process.

Duval will be long gone when this deal comes back to haunt the state. NStar and others can buy cheaper wind power from land based farms whose contsruction and maintenance costs are lower. Electrical grids are interconnected so any power source connected to the grid can supply power (i.e wind farms on land in upstate NY). This is political arm twisting. If Tom May had any backbone, he would take the state to court.

This is another screwing like the promise "I'm going to lower your real estate tax if you vote for me" by, DeVille Deval. Our rates will skyrocket and Deville will be gone. Remember, "Together We Can".

Power from Cape Wind is more expensive and that is a fact. Once the terms of this initial agreement are up, rates will increase and increase enough to recoup what the subsidy was. I am all for renewable energy but let's not fool ourselves.

Put aside the problem of Cape Wind eventually driving up rates. The important question is when have any of these mergers ever benefited the consumer?

Immediate reductions for the ratepayers is a good start. Keep it coming. Everybody wants a free lunch...Renewable energy that costs less than Coal. It is not going to happen while the big coal and power plant owners companies keep their subsidies and tax breaks.

NativeBos - If there is cheaper power available, NStar would be buying it. Al these deals beeing thrown around are being funded by the power generators who don't what the competition from renewable sources. More power lines will have to be installed to move more power to eastern MA from upstate NY. If you try to do that the NIMBY's will complain about the birds that will get killed when the hit the pwoer lines.

The truth is, though buried underground, that free energy for each household has already been invented, and naturally, discarded by the likes of J.P. Morgan, who would not finance Nicola Tesla's discovery back in the thirties. All future attempts by other inventors of free energy have also been systematically squashed by the powers that be. There is no need for the grid, for wind turbines, coal burning furnaces, nuclear reactors or whatever to produce electricity but who listens?

I'm certainly looking forward to my savings! Right. This will never be a good deal for the ratepayers thanks to the political insider maneuvers that brought us frankenstein companies like Cape Wind. This all about big companies, big politics, and big money. I have never understood why everyone is so thrilled about the wind energy industry that requires big goverment (read taxpayer money) subsidies, crony political regulations that guarantee higher electric rates for the next 20 years, and a room full of lobbyists in order to survive. Cape Wind is a joke that we will be paying for long after we enjoy our $15 "savings". There are alternatives that are much less expensive than this monster, but that would make too much sense and spoil a good story for the politicians.

This looks like an excellent deal. Massachusetts customers get $217 million dollars back from NSTAR in the form of an immediate rebate plus a cap on NSTAR's delivery rates for the next four years. In addition, NSTAR has committed to fund energy efficiency programs to reduce energy use by 2.5% per year. That means NSTAR will be paying for the energy upgrades you do at your home, so you can save money on your energy bill. That means we'll each be using 20% less energy on average 10 years from now and NSTAR will fund that effort. That effort will create jobs here in Massachusetts. When Cape Wind finally comes online, the effect on NSTAR's electricity rates will be less than 1% of the total bill because Cape Wind will be such a small part of NSTAR's overall portfolio. That difference is hardly noticeable, but you sure will appreciate that 10 years from now, you'll be using 20% less electricity. So you get cleaner air and substantially lower overall energy costs. I'd take that deal any day.